How to Make a Water Gun

Last Updated: February 10, 2021

Water guns are fun to play with, especially during hot summer days. Instead of buying a water gun at the store, why not try to make your own at home. This can be more cost effective and can be turned into a fun group activity. Whether you are bored or just want to make something crafty, you can follow a few different methods and make a water gun at home.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making a Gun Out of PVC

1
Compiling your materials. To make a water gun out of PVC, you need to go to your local hardware or home improvement store. You need to buy a 20" long, 3/4" around PVC pipe, a 25" rounded wooded stick that can fit into the PVC pipe, a 3/4" PVC pipe cap, 1 screw, and a pack of toilet tank bold washers. You will also need a pair of scissors, glue that works on PVC, and a drill.
- If you want to paint your gun, you may also want to buy some waterproof paint that will adhere to PVC pipe. Try outdoor spray paint or a can of deck paint.^{[1]
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2
Mark and cut the washer. Cut off a small piece of your PVC pipe with a saw and lay it over one of the plastic toilet tank washers. Using a pencil or marker, trace along the inner edge of the PVC pipe onto the plastic washer. Cut out around the mark on the washer with a pair of scissors.^{[2]
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- Make sure you cut along the outer edge of your mark. You don't want the washer to be too small because then your gun will leak. Measure it against the edge of the stick. It should be slightly larger than the circumference of the stick and hang over the edge a little bit.
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3
Attach the washers to the stick. Grab one of the metal toilet tank washers from the pack. Holding the end of the stick, place the plastic washer directly against the flat end of the stick. Then put the metal washer on top of that, aligning the holes. Next, take the screw and place it in the holes. Using the drill, drill the screw and the washers to the end of the stick.
- You want to be sure that the washers are centered in the middle of the stick's edge. You don't want the plastic washer to hang over unevenly along the edges.^{[3]
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- If both edges of the stick are rounded, you will need to cut an even, flat edge onto one side before you attach the washers with the screw.
4
Put holes in the PVC cap. The PVC cap is going to control the kind of stream that comes out of your water gun. Depending on what kind of stream you want, you need to drill holes in the top of the PVC cap. You can change the width of your drill bit to push out more or less water, so make sure it is big enough to create a steady stream but small enough not to pour too much water out at once.^{[4]
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- If you want to try a more elaborate cap design, try making three or four holes around the center area of the PVC cap. It will pour streams from multiple holes and look super cool when shot. Just make sure the drill bit is a little smaller so you don't lose too much water all at once.^{[5]
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5
Assemble the gun. Take the PVC cap and glue it to one end of the PVC pipe. Next, insert the stick into the other end of the PVC pipe. You should feel a little resistance as the washer pushes against the sides of the pipe. Now that it is together, stick the top with the cap on it into water and slowly pull out the stick. That will pull water into your pipe. Once you have enough water, pull it out. You are now ready for a water fight.
- If you want to paint your gun, do that before you insert the stick into the pipe. Paint each part with the spray paint and let them dry. Then you can assemble the rest of the gun.^{[6]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making a Gun Out of a Spray Bottle

1
Gather your materials. For this project, you only need a few items. You will need a spray bottle, an old pill bottle, glue, a sharp knife, and a pair of scissors. The spray bottle should have the plastic piping on the inside of the bottle. These are found on many household cleaners or you can buy a fresh one from the dollar store.^{[7]
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2
Make the base. Take the old pill bottle and remove the label. Then, take the cap and poke a hole in its center using your sharp knife. The cap might already have an indent in the middle of the cap. If it does, just puncture the cap using this as a guide. If not, find the center of the cap and puncture it with your knife. Once the hole is made, try to stick the plastic piping from the spray bottle inside the hole. If the hole is too small, use the knife or a ball point pen to try to open the hole a little wider until the piping can fit through it.
- Make sure you don't make the hole too big. The plastic piping should be snug against the sides of the hole in the cap.
3
Measure the piping. Put the cap back on the pill bottle. Remove the piping from the top of the spray bottle and stick it into the cap. There will likely be an excess of pipe above the pill cap. Using the scissors, cut off the piping about 3/4 an inch above the cap. You want to make sure that there is enough left so you can stick it back into the bottom of the spray bottle.
- If there is still too much, snip off the excess until the bottom of the spray nozzle fits snugly against the bottle cap and the pipe is completely inside the hole in the spray nozzle.^{[8]
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4
Glue down the top. Remove the bottle cap from the bottle and set the bottle aside. Take your glue and apply it around the bottom of the spray nozzle cap where it meets the bottle cap. Fit the pieces snugly together, pressing them firmly. Allow them to dry. Once they are, fill the pill bottle with water and put the cap back on the bottle. Your water gun is complete.
- If the spray nozzle keeps coming off of the cap, try a different type of glue or use a glue gun. The glue you originally used may not be strong enough to stand up to the movements of the water gun.^{[9]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making a Gun Out of an Air Pump

1
Collect your materials. This water gun is made by converting a sports ball air pump into a water gun. These are the small air pumps that are used to refill the air in basketballs, soccer balls, and footballs. To make it, you will need a hand operated sports ball air pump, plumbers tape, a drill, and a pair of scissors.^{[10]
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- You may also be able to use a small hand operated bicycle tire pump as well if you want a slightly larger gun.
2
Drill a hole in the pump. Take the air pump and remove the nozzle at the end, putting it aside. Find a drill bit that fits into the hole in the top of the pump. Take the drill and drill through the metal area on the inside of the pump. Make sure you don't strip the sides of the hole. The nozzle needs to be able to screw back in there.
- Make sure the handle lever is pulled out. You don't want to accidentally puncture that part of the pump.
3
Tape the nozzle needle. The nozzle of the air pump should have multiple holes along the needle and one on the end. Using a long piece of the plumbers tape, cover up all the holes except the one at the end of the needle. You want to make sure you wrap it around the area where the hole is as well as the surrounding areas. You don't want any water to leak out of those areas once you start shooting your gun.^{[11]
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- If you want, you can paint the outside of the pump in a fun color or in a cool design. Using outdoor spray paint or some other waterproof paint, paint the pump and let it dry before you assemble it.
4
Assemble your gun. Take the pump and stick it in water with the lever all the way in. Once the end is submerged in water, pull back the lever to fill the pump with water. Next, screw the nozzle back on the gun. To release the water, just push in the pump lever.^{[12]
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Community Q&A

Question

How does a bag pack water gun work?

Community Answer

You would need a water proof bag and the work is simple. It is basically a pump gun that has a tube going to the bag and the bag has water that goes through the gun when the gun is being pumped.
Question

Were do I get the toilet thing from?

Community Answer

You can get it at a hardware or home-improvement store.
Question

Can't I just get a the top of a spray bottle, some clear tubing and a soda bottle to make a water gun with more capacity?

Myfavoritefood

Community Answer

That would really just be a large spray bottle. If you were looking for a water gun with more capacity, I would recommend sizing up the whole project to larger supplies,